Folding crate



(No Model.)

J. s. ANDREWS.

FOLDING CRATE.

Patented Mar. 15, 1898.

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. #0 W0. wm ad Q 5 @m d M J k h H 0 wk J n 9 3 rrnn rates JOSIAH s.ANDREWS, or oLooUEr, MINNESOTA.

FOLDING CRATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 600,822, dated March15, 1898. Application filed June 12, 1897. Serial No. 640,414. (Nomodel.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JosIAH S. ANDREWS, of Gloquet, in the county ofCarlton and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Folding Crates; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

The invention relates to a folding crate or case more especiallydesigned for use as a case for packing eggs, but embodying aconstruction applicable to other uses.

It relates to the manner of hinging the sides or front and rear boardsof the crate and the end boards thereof to the base-plate, whereby theyare adapted to be folded into compact shape for transportation or to beopened up for use, the object being to obtain a simple, inexpensive, andsubstantial crate which can be folded into compact shape fortransportation when not in use and which is adapted to thoroughlyprotect the contents of the case when opened up for that purpose.

The construction by which the foregoing objects are attained will beunderstood from the following description, with reference to thedrawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a front perspective view of acase embracing the invention, with the front side board turned down outof the way to show the arrangement of the other parts. Fig. 2 representsa longitudinal section through the case. Fig. 3 shows one of the sideboards in end elevation; and Fig. 4, an inner face view of one of theend boards, with its hinged extension in the open position.

1 represents the bottom board of the case, made, preferably, in therectangular form indicated and with a length about double that of thewidth. The front and rear edges of this plate are provided with narrowupright strips 2, to the ends of which are secured uprights 3 3, saiduprights forming a shallow tray in which the contents or foldingppulppartition-boards for egg-carriers can be placed when not in use.

The end uprights 3 extend above the side uprights 2 and are providedwith angle irons or plates 6, having inturned flanges 7, provided withvertical slots 8, with which headed pins on the ends of the side boards5 engage for hinging said side boards to the end boards and allowingthem to receive a vertical ad justment relative to said end boards.

The angle-irons 6 are secured to the edges of the end uprights 3 byscrews or other suitable fastenings, and the inturned flanges 7 thereofare also secured to the inner face of the end uprights 3, as indicated.One of these angledrons is secured to each end of each end *upright, andthe ends of the side boards 5 are provided each with a headed pinengaging the slot 8 is said angle-irons. The angle-irons 6 are providednear their upper ends with headed pins 10, upon which are pivotedstrap-irons 9, secured at their upper ends to hinged end extensions 4 4.The upper horizontal edges of the parts 3 are preferably rounded topermit the folding :movement of the extensions 4, and the lower edges ofthe parts 4 may be correspondingly concaved for the same purpose,providing a snug folding joint between the uprights 3 and the hingedextension 4 thereof.

The hinged extensions 4 are provided adjacent to each edge near theirupper ends with plates 11, having headed pins 12 formed thereon, andupon the edges of the side boards 5 are secured plates 13 near theupper. ends of said boards. These plates 13 are provided with uprightslots 14, opening inward at their lower ends and adapted to engage theheaded pins 12. Near the lower edges of the side boards 5 are headedpins 15, adapted to engage the slots in the plates '7 to be adjusted upand down therein. When the side plates are raised to the limit of theplay of the headed pins, the open end of the slots 14 will be inposition to receive the headed pins 12, which at said open end inclinesinward toward the vertical portion of the slot, adapting the side boardto be pressed downward to engage the upper closed end of said slot 14.By this arrangement of the headed pins and open slot, which is somewhatin the nature of a bayonet-joint, the side boards 5 can be raised forengagement with the headed pins 12 and then forced snugly down in placeupon the bottom strips or uprights 2, in which position they serve tofirmly lock both the side boards and the end boards firmly in position.In emptying the crate the operation can be reversed by simply raisingand releasing the side and end boards, when the side boards can befolded in upon each other and over the contents of the tray and thepartitionboards placed in said tray, and the end boards can then befolded down upon the side boards, bringing the whole case into compactshape for transportation. The end uprights are provided on their outerfaces with cleats 18 18, one at or near the bottom of the crate and onenear the upper end of the hinged extension of the end board. These aresecured in place by any suitable fastening, to which are added bracingstaples or wires 19, extend ing over the cleats and passing through theend boards and firmly riveted therein. The cleats are shown groovedvertically adjacent to said staples 19 at points indicated at 20 for thepurpose of adapting the retainingwires of the cover to engage with thecleats to prevent lateral movement of the same.

21 indicates a removable transverse partition adapted to engage grooves22 in the side boards 5 and also to be engaged when in place by means ofparallel cleats 23 23 on the lower face of the parallel cover, whichserve to lock said partition 21 in place and prevent any lateralmovement thereof when the case is in use for the transportation of eggsor other substance.

The cover 26 is provided at its ends with pendent end strips 27, whichoverhang the end boards 4, and with suitable fastenings adapted toengage the cleats on said end boards in either the extended or foldedposition of the crate. The particular form of fastening shown is madethe subject-matter of another application, and need not, therefore, beherein particularly described.

By the construction described the case is adapted when not in use to befolded in a very narrow compass compared with its ope or expanded form.

The plates forming the hinged connections and fastenings of the severalparts referred to are made of strap or hoop iron and are inexpensive inconstruction and not liable to get out of order.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination in a folding crate provided on its bottom board withafixed shallow tray, rigid end uprights having hinged extensions,pivoted side boards hinged in slotted angleirons on the end uprights,said side boards being provided on their ends with plates having slotsopen at their lower ends, and headed pins on the inner faces of the endboards for engaging said slotted plates, all substantiall as and for thepurpose described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

JOSIAH S. ANDREWS.

Witnesses:

CHARLES F. ANDREWS, ALBERT Cox.

